Many competing concerns may be considered in designing and outfitting a vehicle such as an aircraft. For example, it is desirable for the aircraft to be durable and to have good aerodynamics while, at the same time, it is desirable for the aircraft to be inexpensive to build and to include a full complement of desired features.
Providing adequate antennas is one exemplary design issue that can raise such competing concerns. To provide desired bandwidth coverage, an antenna may be subject to particular size and location constraints. At the same time, however, if the antenna protrudes from the aircraft body, the antenna may be exposed to accidental damage from ground personnel or airborne objects, and the antenna may also detract from the aerodynamics of the aircraft.
In the case of helicopters, finding an available area on the outside of a helicopter body to mount an antenna where the antenna will not interfere with a rotor, a stabilizer, or control surfaces of the helicopter can be difficult. There may be little available area on the helicopter body to mount such an antenna where the antenna can provide coverage in all directions around the helicopter. Mounting a “towel bar” type antenna on a tail boom section of a helicopter makes use of available, largely unused space on the helicopter. However, towel bar type antennas extend outward from the tail boom section and may be subject to damage by personnel servicing the helicopter when the helicopter is not in flight.